Tech buyers rebel over poor customer service

81% of those treated badly will go elsewhere next time

Poor customer service is driving us away from consumer technology companies, an Accenture survey has found.

The management consultancy firm said that 60 per cent of the tech buyers have experienced average or below average service. This is clearly at odds with the 75 per cent of consumer tech executives who said their firms offered above average service.

More damning for industry bosses is the fact that 81 per cent of those treated badly will go to a rival next time - brand-loyalty be damned. Some 48 per cent also said they'd spread the word, telling their friends and relatives of the bad service they had received.

Businesses blasted

The Accenture study surveyed 1,700 technology buyers worldwide, and also interviewed senior executives from a range of consumer technology companies. The survey suggests that companies could be hit hard by poor service - paying for it on their bottom line.

"Too many of these companies fail to realise the dire long-term repercussions of not making the proper investments in customer service," said Brett Anderson, managing director for Customer Relationship Management in Accenture's Communications and High Tech Practice.

"With so many technology products on a natural path to commoditisation, technology companies need to use customer service to differentiate themselves from competitors," he said.